Improvement in hand-looms



-NrrED STATES YPRI-Erl'' OFFICE STEPHEN C. MENDENHALL AND SIMN SPARKS,OF RICHMOND, INDIANA,

ASSIGNORS T() STEPHEN C. MENDENHALL.

IMPROVEMENT IN kHAND-LOOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,132, dated October23, 1866.

` denhall, granted 29th August, 1865, and relates to a device for theinstantaneous retraction of the cam and grooved hub, whereby a singlecam of long sweep is enabled to operate on any desired number oftreadles in succession, and yet to return automatically andV instantlyto the starting position, so as to be ready at the proper moment toresume its action at the commencement of the series of treadles.

In the customary grooved hub employed for shifting the cam in looms, thenecessary obliquity of the traverse or return groove, which crosses theothers, causes it, in operating three or more treadles, to take up somuch of the circumference of the hub as to seriously circumscribe thatportion of the revolution allotted to the move-ment of the cam on thetreadle, and consequently the duration of opening of the shed, while formore than four treadles it is from these causes wholly impracticable,whereas in the present improvement the cam can be` given its full sweep,and can be relied upon always to come promptly to time, no matter howmany treadles may be employed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View,representing the application of our improvement to a self-actinghand-loom. Figs. 2 and 3 represent successive positions of the cam.

The words right and left7 in the following specification refer to theright or left of the machine in respect to the operator.

The treadle cam-shaft A is journaled horizontally a suitable distance inrear of the hed- (lle-frame, and may be rotated by an endless chain, B,extending from the driver C to a spurred pulley or sprocket, D, on theright end ofthe cam-shaft. The said shaft A has a shoulder, a., and afeather, a', to permit a limited sliding motion of the cam, and lyetcompel-its rotation with the shaft.

The driver C revolves on a stud-shaft, N, affixed adjustably to theVframe, so as to enable the tightening of the belt or chain.

The present illustration contains but four treadles, 1 2 3 4, and asmany grooves in the cam-hub 5 but our plan enables the employment of amuch larger number.

Our cam E has a short concentric depressed portion, e, which traverseswithout depressing the treadle dnrin g the retraction of the cam. Fromthe portion e the cam rises rapidly at e to reach the long portion e",which, likethe portion e, is concentric, but is as much greater inradius as the desired stroke ofthe treadles.

The portion e" should occupy not less than two-thirds of the circuit ofthe cam, in order that the shed of the warp may be held open and clearof the woef-thread almost until the very instantkof the final stroke ofthe hatten in laying up the said thread. l.

The above provision is especially important in weaving many descriptionsof woolen goods whose warp-threads abound in knots and otherobstructions, which, when the shed is closed too soon, are liable tobecome entangled in the woot'. Y The portion e" terminates precipitonslyat 0', in order to allow each treadle in succession to'promptly resumeits horizontal position, so as to slacken the shed at the precisejuncture of time when the batten is approaching the end of its beat tolay up the woot-thread.

The cam E and its hub F, while made capable of being slid along theshaft A, are compelled to rotate in common with said shaft by means of afeather, a.

A spring, G, acts to return. the cam to its starting-point against theshoulder a and to hold it there, save when shifted by the action of thefinger.

` The cam-hub has a series of grooves, l 2 3 4, which, for aboutseven-eighths of the circle, are in equidistant planes of revolution andcommunicate each with the one next in order by means of an obliquechannel, l 2l 3.

Hinged to the cross-'rail H is a iin ger, I, which, when not speciallydisengaged, is pressed into the grooves of the hub by the action of aspring, J.

The bottom of the last groove, 4, terminates in a rise, K, which, as therotation of the hub continues, elevates the fin ger clear of theperiphery of the hub.

Lis a stop which momentarily detains the hub to give time for the en gagement of asprin gcatch, M, whose duty it is to hold the finger I out ofthe grooves while Ithe cam and hub are shot hack to the first positionby means of the retracting-spring G.

Projecting from the left end of the hub is a releasing-cam, O, which atthe proper momen t, impinging against the spring-catch M, acts todisengage it from the finger, so as to allow the latter to drop againinto the groove l in the hub. Butts or stops t' z" projecting from thefin ger I serve to lilnit its vibrations.

In order to insure an orderly and concerted action among all the partswith as little shafting or cog-gearing as possible, and yet enable theoperator to stand square with and facing the front of the machine, andto afford a crankv motion on the plane parallel to the motion of thebatten, and so that the crank shall be at its most el'ective positionwhen the batten is in the act of striking up the woot-thread, I

have provided a driving spurred pulley or sprocket, C, and haveconnected the same to a similar sprocket, D, on the cam-shaft by meansof an endless belt, B b, having metallic eyelets.

The winch or hand-crank C' is affixed at such position to the sprocketC, and the sprockets C and D are so connected by pitman P to the battenQ, as to bring the winch C' and the pit men P P all at or near theirdeadpoints, and with the weight of the operator bearing upon the winchC', so as to concentrate the greatest force at this special andimportantjuncture of the operation, enabling the operator to lay up theWoof-thread firmly, and insuring a dense and heavy fabric without thenecessity of fulling.

The eyeleted belt B b may b e formed of canvas or leather with metalliceyes, or may be simply a metallic chain.

The essential requisites of said belt are plivability withoutextensibility and the faculty of communicating positive motion frompulley to pulley.

We claim herein as new and of our invention-.

1. The peculiarly-shaped vcam E e a e 0', in the described combinationwith the grooved hub F, constructed as described, and a series oftreadles,1 2 3 4, or more, constructed as described, whereby one cam ismade to operate 'all the treadles, and also to keep the treadlesdepressed during almost the entire revolution of the cam.

2. The rise K and .stop L, inthe described combination with groovedcam-hub F, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the cam E 0 e e 0 a-nd hub F, grooved as shownand described, the retracting-spring G.

4. The linger I, hinged to the crossrail H and provided with a spring,J, for the purpose set forth.

5. In the described combination, the yield ing and spring-sustained ngerI and the spring-catch M for the momentary detention of the nger outsideof the hub, as set forth.

6. The releasing-cam O,.iu the described combination with thespring-catch M and iinger I.

7. The combination of groovedcam-liub F and the yielding and spring-sustained fin ger I.

8. The arrangement of feathered and shouldered shaft A a a', cam E e ee" 6', grooved l1 ub F, rise K, stop L, releasing-cain O, springcatch M,and retracting-spring G.

9.. In combination with the elements of the clause immediatelypreceding, the spurred pulleys G and D, winch C', eyeleted belt or chainB b, pitmen P P, and hatten Q.

In testimony of which invention wc hereunto st our hands. a

l STEPHEN G. MENDENHALL. SIMON SPARKS. Witnesses GEO. H. KNIGHT, JonNFINLEY.

